April Bowlby had a unique experience working on Two and a Half Men and alongside Charlie Sheen.
Fans will always wonder what Two and a Half Men would've turned out to be had Charlie Sheen stayed onboard. However, his spiral caused some serious issues behind the scenes, and he was eventually relieved of his duties.
Despite the abrupt exit, it seems like his co-stars still had positive things to say. Jon Cryer was however very detailed about Charlie's behind the scenes struggles, but the same didn't hold true for a lot of the other cast.
In the following, we're specifically going to look at April Bowlby's time on Two and a Half Men, and what it was like working alongside Charlie Sheen. It was an unforgettable experience for the actress who was able to secure such a major role early on in her career. We'll take a look at how she landed the gig, and what it was like working alongside such a cast.
April Bowlby Scored Her Role On Two And A Half Men Within Months Of Her First Hollywood Audition
Appearing on Two and a Half Men is without a doubt a career-altering role. Take Jennifer Taylor as an example, she was struggling behind the scenes prior to securing the role, and such a gig finally added stability to her financial situation.
As for April Bowlby, she was luckier with how things worked out. Speaking alongside Cream Magazine, the sitcom star revealed that she didn't have to wait long before securing her first gig in Hollywood, which happened to be on the massive sitcom alongside Sheen and company.
"It was very exciting, let me tell ya. I was very nervous but, luckily, when you’re just starting out, and if you have a good team – which I did, you go on all sorts of auditions and you just hope you’re booked for a role. It was like a numbers game but with Kandi, the character really worked for me."
The role launched April's career in a positive way. She got to work alongside major stars like Sheen and Jon Cryer early on. As expected, the actress had a great experience alongside the two stars.
April Bowlby Had A Positive Experience Working Alongside Charlie Sheen
During Charlie Sheen's downfall, April Bowlby was asked about her experience alongside the actor. As expected and similar to what the other co-stars had to say, the actress revealed Charlie's behavior was never problematic on-set, and quite the opposite.
"When we chatted [off-camera], he was actually laidback with a very dry, raw sense of humour. He and Jon Cryer were very charismatic with each other. The show was at its peak when I entered the picture; a well-oiled machine with everyone getting along."
April stayed true to this assessment during a candid interview that was posted to YouTube.
Fans were caught off guard by April's words, especially given how different her voice sounds compared to what it was like on Two and a Half Men as Kandi. April also saw an early switch to her Two and a Half Men character early on.
"For her first appearance the character’s name was Kimber but then producers said they wanted to feature more of her in the show, and realised they didn’t like the name, so changed it to Kandi."
She continues, "I just thought she was a fun character. She could get away with anything and was super-lovable. She’s also very naïve but in an appealing way. I think the writers wrote her part well."
It was a memorable part of her career and one she has fond memories of looking back.
Charlie Sheen Was Praised By Other Cast Members As Well, Including Holland Taylor And Melanie Lynskey
Ask Holland Taylor or Jennifer Lynskey, and both will admit that working with Charlie Sheen was nothing but great. Lynskey in particular praised Sheen for his generosity on the set.
“I send him my best always and hope that he’s doing well. But… he was a very, very generous actor to work with and was always very kind to me."
As for Taylor, she revealed that Sheen's acts of kindness continued off camera as well with the cast.
"Charlie was cordial and polite with all of his cast mates and crew, sometimes even courtly — and always witty … We watched movies at his house occasionally — warm evenings with interesting, spirited conversation. This is the guy I know.”
Taylor continues at the time of Charlie's controversy, “In this very sad and complicated time, I really have no comment beyond valuing my own history with Charlie, and my abiding affection for him.”
Sheen made a strong impression on those he worked with and clearly, his fellow castmates showed lots of concern during his struggles. We assume most of his former co-workers wanted him back on the show, but it just wasn't meant to be.